6 ms·

When you fill up a gas car, you stand by the pump as it gets filled. Say it takes 5min, that's 5min of being right there holding the pump (or babysitting it), w

When you fill up a gas car, you stand by the pump as it gets filled. Say it takes 5min, that's 5min of being right there holding the pump (or babysitting it), with your attention mostly budgeted to this (minus dumb browsing). When you do sub-2h trips on a Tesla, you don't need to fuel at all. The car charges at home, you spend no time whatsoever on the act of fueling. On longer trips spanning 3+ hours, when you plug a Tesla, you might be charging for 15-20min but the attention budget you dedicate to the act is on the order of 20s. You stop, plug the car, walk away and go eat a taco or buy some groceries or empty your bladder, or watch a video in the car. You'll physically arrive maybe 10-15min later than a gas/flow car (assuming no resting), but you'll have mentally dedicated much less time to the act of replenishing the spent energy. To me, this is more than worth it. Over a year of driving and commuting and road tripping, I spent a tiny fraction of what I would have on the act of starring at or thinking about an energy replenishment device. The idea of frequently babysitting the refilling of a liquid in my car is obnoxious.

Phlarp 3y ago
The amount of cope in this comment is astronomical
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
dmoy 3y ago
> Say it takes 5min, that's 5min of being right there holding the pump (or babysitting it) 5 mins is like 50 gallons of gas, which is a very, very large gas tank. That's like larger than a Ford F-350 gas tank. My car's gas tank fills in like one minute, if I run it fairly close to empty (which is rare)
- Dalewyn 3y ago
  A fully fueled F-350 can easily travel 700+ miles before it needs to refuel, too. Assuming it's just being driven around town, you'll probably go months between stopping at the pump.
  - AYBABTME 3y ago
    Doesn't change much to your argument. But fuel doesn't last for months sitting in a tank. Gas will absorbs moisture from the mandatory ethanol mix and become quasi useless, and diesel will develop algae, clogging the piping and filters.
    - Dalewyn 3y ago
      Speaking from experience it really isn't as big of a problem as it sounds, and there are additives you can use if it does become a bother.
  - dreamoffire 3y ago
    Which year/trim of a truck are we talking about here specifically? I’d be interested in not refuelling for months of city driving. Assuming we’re just talking about driving around for errands and not things you use a truck for, this would still be impressive.
    - Dalewyn 3y ago
      2021 Ford F-350 XLT, long bed + crew cab, diesel engine (do F-350s even come in gas...?). Family and I used it for moving across state, and with no load (or very light load, no trailer) and a full tank it could make a 700 mile journey in one go with fuel to spare. That included going up a couple mountain passes. Fully loaded (20ft enclosed trailer and truck bed), it still made about 500 miles of the way before we needed to refuel. Worth noting, we found the mileage wasn't actually affected in any significant way by any cargo we hauled. It was pulling that trailer, regardless empty or loaded, that reduced mileage (aerodynamic drag!). Street driving is less efficient than freeway driving, obviously, but with a ~40 gallon fuel tank it should still make stopping at the pump a very infrequent event.
- esperent 3y ago
  I think the parent comment mentioned 5 minutes because this is how long the article says these new batteries will take to refuel. Although it's quite likely the article made this figure up. In any case, it's a redundant point because it's unlikely a battery fluid system would be designed in the same way as old fashioned gas pumps. More likely, it would clamp on and you can sit in the car or take a small walk while it does it's work. Gas pumps are designed to be handheld because they are fast. If it took 5 minutes to pump gas, we would probably have redesigned these by now too.
- Faaak 3y ago
  Don't you have to pay for it afterwards ?
  - oe 3y ago
    At least around here you open an app on your phone, select which pump you are on, and the total is charged from your debit card. The total time is just the time it takes to pump fuel to the car.
  - devilbunny 3y ago
    Pay at the pump is nearly universal in the US. The last time I encountered a station that didn't have it was ca. 2001 in rural Arkansas. Pull up, insert card, insert filling handle, start, lock on, step to the side to avoid fumes, when it clicks off you put up handle, put gas cap on, drive away. Electric cars have a lot of pluses, but refilling the tank as quickly as gasoline or diesel isn't one of them. I can drive at highway speeds for over thirteen hours on two refills of the tank, each of which takes less time than walking in and using the restroom.
    - burnerburnito 3y ago
      For whatever it's worth, some places currently disallow pay at the pump if you're refuelling late at night, at least for diesel (I didn't check for gasoline). I've encountered it before while driving across the US even just 1-2 years ago.
- jtc331 3y ago
  IME gas pumps are often slower than the 10 Gpm limit in the US.
SV_BubbleTime 3y ago
I’ve been all between Seattle and Portland enough and stopped at enough Tesla stations that I know it is complete fantasy to charge for 20 minutes on a road trip. It also doesn’t take anyone 5 min to fill with gas. Most cars are like 90 seconds / 16 gallons.
- cheema33 3y ago
  I do the Seattle / Portland road trip quite often. My Tesla easily does it without needing a stop to charge the car.
  - SV_BubbleTime 3y ago
    Who said a charged car couldn’t make it? Are you saying that the charging stations between the two aren’t being used, and at more than 20 minutes at a time?
happymellon 3y ago
I don't need 20 mins to empty my bladder.
- tnbp 3y ago
  Give it a few years, pops :-)
  - tzs 3y ago
    Doesn't it usually go the other way? Bladder capacity goes down with age, so as you get older you find yourself needing to pee more times a day, but the time needed for a given pee break is less.
    - tnbp 3y ago
      That's also possible; my mind was going the prostate route.
trabant00 3y ago
Except that it does not take 5 minutes to fill up, you can ask the gas station attendant to do it for you, or you can simply let the pump run and do whatever you would do in that 20 minutes an electric charges. There is no attention needed on the pump while it is running. But I guess the long time that electric charging takes is usefull. You can spend it on mental gymnastics that being forced to stop more often and for longer is somehow better.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- messe 3y ago
  > you can ask the gas station attendant to do it for you Where in the world is that still a thing?
  - Dalewyn 3y ago
    At least Japan and significant parts of the US, speaking from what I personally know. Oregon just this year finally changed its state-wide mandate that all pumps at a station be Full Service to half Full Service and half Self Serve. Yes, it's mandatory for stations to have Full Service pumps in Oregon. Further reading: https://www.oregon.gov/osfm/pages/self-serve-fueling.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/osfm/pages/self-serve-fueling.aspx https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2023/08/self-serve-gasoline-is-legal-across-oregon.html https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2023/08/self-serve-gaso... https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/03/20/house-passes-bill-to-allow-oregonians-to-pump-their-own-gas/ https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/03/20/house-passes-b...
    - devilbunny 3y ago
      It's mandatory in Oregon and New Jersey. Which are not exactly Wyoming, in terms of population, but they are just two states. Outside of that, there's a full-service station down the street from me, but it's about 30 cents per gallon more to get full service (though it is full service and they will check your oil, tire pressure, coolant, windshield washer fluid, etc., and refill the washer fluid and air up tires). It's the only one I know of at all outside of those two states (though of course there must be others still out there).
atoav 3y ago
I am truly not a fan of gas stations, but fueling a car doesn't take 5 minutes. In the most cases it doesn't even take one-a-half minute and then I am allowed to continue my journey. So maybe some people need forced breaks, but I don't, I can decide myself where I want to do my break and it is not at a gas station, with gas station food, has station atmosphere and gas station prices.
farmdve 3y ago
This is absolutely false unless you have a long-haul truck. Additionally most pumps have a price button or gallon/litre button where you set the thing you want and it shuts off automatically. If you want to fill up all the way, there is a little switch which locks the pistol so you don't have to hold it and it will shut off automatically. It's that easy.
grecy 3y ago
> Say it takes 5min, that's 5min of being right there holding the pump (or babysitting it), Also worth remembering that time is spent inhaling carcinogenic fumes. I try hard to stand away from the pump, and will jam my gas cap in the handle if it doesn't have the ability to lock it on.
wkat4242 3y ago
That's all very nice if you can charge at home. If you can't, you'll spend a lot of time waiting around.
tamimio 3y ago
Maybe life is meant to enjoy these 5 minutes breaks and have a relaxed schedule instead of trying to cram every single minute by what you perceive “productive” like watching a movie.. People are having mental health issues is because they see their lives as a race not a journey, people used to spend hours to prepare their horses, I can spend few minutes filling my car tank :)
Fatnino 3y ago
Now imagine having a gas pump at your house so you just top off once every few days before running out on errands. That's not even farfetched if your car runs on methane.
klyrs 3y ago
> The idea of frequently babysitting the refilling of a liquid in my car is obnoxious. Yup. Roadtrips are rare in my life, and worth the wait. Gassing sessions out of my weekly experience? Life change. I do miss the squeegies though.

Phlarp 3y ago

The amount of cope in this comment is astronomical

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

dmoy 3y ago

> Say it takes 5min, that's 5min of being right there holding the pump (or babysitting it) 5 mins is like 50 gallons of gas, which is a very, very large gas tank. That's like larger than a Ford F-350 gas tank. My car's gas tank fills in like one minute, if I run it fairly close to empty (which is rare)

Dalewyn 3y ago
A fully fueled F-350 can easily travel 700+ miles before it needs to refuel, too. Assuming it's just being driven around town, you'll probably go months between stopping at the pump.
- AYBABTME 3y ago
  Doesn't change much to your argument. But fuel doesn't last for months sitting in a tank. Gas will absorbs moisture from the mandatory ethanol mix and become quasi useless, and diesel will develop algae, clogging the piping and filters.
  - Dalewyn 3y ago
    Speaking from experience it really isn't as big of a problem as it sounds, and there are additives you can use if it does become a bother.
- dreamoffire 3y ago
  Which year/trim of a truck are we talking about here specifically? I’d be interested in not refuelling for months of city driving. Assuming we’re just talking about driving around for errands and not things you use a truck for, this would still be impressive.
  - Dalewyn 3y ago
    2021 Ford F-350 XLT, long bed + crew cab, diesel engine (do F-350s even come in gas...?). Family and I used it for moving across state, and with no load (or very light load, no trailer) and a full tank it could make a 700 mile journey in one go with fuel to spare. That included going up a couple mountain passes. Fully loaded (20ft enclosed trailer and truck bed), it still made about 500 miles of the way before we needed to refuel. Worth noting, we found the mileage wasn't actually affected in any significant way by any cargo we hauled. It was pulling that trailer, regardless empty or loaded, that reduced mileage (aerodynamic drag!). Street driving is less efficient than freeway driving, obviously, but with a ~40 gallon fuel tank it should still make stopping at the pump a very infrequent event.
esperent 3y ago
I think the parent comment mentioned 5 minutes because this is how long the article says these new batteries will take to refuel. Although it's quite likely the article made this figure up. In any case, it's a redundant point because it's unlikely a battery fluid system would be designed in the same way as old fashioned gas pumps. More likely, it would clamp on and you can sit in the car or take a small walk while it does it's work. Gas pumps are designed to be handheld because they are fast. If it took 5 minutes to pump gas, we would probably have redesigned these by now too.
Faaak 3y ago
Don't you have to pay for it afterwards ?
- oe 3y ago
  At least around here you open an app on your phone, select which pump you are on, and the total is charged from your debit card. The total time is just the time it takes to pump fuel to the car.
- devilbunny 3y ago
  Pay at the pump is nearly universal in the US. The last time I encountered a station that didn't have it was ca. 2001 in rural Arkansas. Pull up, insert card, insert filling handle, start, lock on, step to the side to avoid fumes, when it clicks off you put up handle, put gas cap on, drive away. Electric cars have a lot of pluses, but refilling the tank as quickly as gasoline or diesel isn't one of them. I can drive at highway speeds for over thirteen hours on two refills of the tank, each of which takes less time than walking in and using the restroom.
  - burnerburnito 3y ago
    For whatever it's worth, some places currently disallow pay at the pump if you're refuelling late at night, at least for diesel (I didn't check for gasoline). I've encountered it before while driving across the US even just 1-2 years ago.
jtc331 3y ago
IME gas pumps are often slower than the 10 Gpm limit in the US.

SV_BubbleTime 3y ago

I’ve been all between Seattle and Portland enough and stopped at enough Tesla stations that I know it is complete fantasy to charge for 20 minutes on a road trip. It also doesn’t take anyone 5 min to fill with gas. Most cars are like 90 seconds / 16 gallons.

cheema33 3y ago
I do the Seattle / Portland road trip quite often. My Tesla easily does it without needing a stop to charge the car.
- SV_BubbleTime 3y ago
  Who said a charged car couldn’t make it? Are you saying that the charging stations between the two aren’t being used, and at more than 20 minutes at a time?

happymellon 3y ago

I don't need 20 mins to empty my bladder.

tnbp 3y ago
Give it a few years, pops :-)
- tzs 3y ago
  Doesn't it usually go the other way? Bladder capacity goes down with age, so as you get older you find yourself needing to pee more times a day, but the time needed for a given pee break is less.
  - tnbp 3y ago
    That's also possible; my mind was going the prostate route.

trabant00 3y ago

Except that it does not take 5 minutes to fill up, you can ask the gas station attendant to do it for you, or you can simply let the pump run and do whatever you would do in that 20 minutes an electric charges. There is no attention needed on the pump while it is running. But I guess the long time that electric charging takes is usefull. You can spend it on mental gymnastics that being forced to stop more often and for longer is somehow better.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
messe 3y ago
> you can ask the gas station attendant to do it for you Where in the world is that still a thing?
- Dalewyn 3y ago
  At least Japan and significant parts of the US, speaking from what I personally know. Oregon just this year finally changed its state-wide mandate that all pumps at a station be Full Service to half Full Service and half Self Serve. Yes, it's mandatory for stations to have Full Service pumps in Oregon. Further reading: https://www.oregon.gov/osfm/pages/self-serve-fueling.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/osfm/pages/self-serve-fueling.aspx https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2023/08/self-serve-gasoline-is-legal-across-oregon.html https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2023/08/self-serve-gaso... https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/03/20/house-passes-bill-to-allow-oregonians-to-pump-their-own-gas/ https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/03/20/house-passes-b...
  - devilbunny 3y ago
    It's mandatory in Oregon and New Jersey. Which are not exactly Wyoming, in terms of population, but they are just two states. Outside of that, there's a full-service station down the street from me, but it's about 30 cents per gallon more to get full service (though it is full service and they will check your oil, tire pressure, coolant, windshield washer fluid, etc., and refill the washer fluid and air up tires). It's the only one I know of at all outside of those two states (though of course there must be others still out there).

atoav 3y ago

I am truly not a fan of gas stations, but fueling a car doesn't take 5 minutes. In the most cases it doesn't even take one-a-half minute and then I am allowed to continue my journey. So maybe some people need forced breaks, but I don't, I can decide myself where I want to do my break and it is not at a gas station, with gas station food, has station atmosphere and gas station prices.

farmdve 3y ago

This is absolutely false unless you have a long-haul truck. Additionally most pumps have a price button or gallon/litre button where you set the thing you want and it shuts off automatically. If you want to fill up all the way, there is a little switch which locks the pistol so you don't have to hold it and it will shut off automatically. It's that easy.

grecy 3y ago

> Say it takes 5min, that's 5min of being right there holding the pump (or babysitting it), Also worth remembering that time is spent inhaling carcinogenic fumes. I try hard to stand away from the pump, and will jam my gas cap in the handle if it doesn't have the ability to lock it on.

wkat4242 3y ago

That's all very nice if you can charge at home. If you can't, you'll spend a lot of time waiting around.

tamimio 3y ago

Maybe life is meant to enjoy these 5 minutes breaks and have a relaxed schedule instead of trying to cram every single minute by what you perceive “productive” like watching a movie.. People are having mental health issues is because they see their lives as a race not a journey, people used to spend hours to prepare their horses, I can spend few minutes filling my car tank :)

Fatnino 3y ago

Now imagine having a gas pump at your house so you just top off once every few days before running out on errands. That's not even farfetched if your car runs on methane.

klyrs 3y ago

> The idea of frequently babysitting the refilling of a liquid in my car is obnoxious. Yup. Roadtrips are rare in my life, and worth the wait. Gassing sessions out of my weekly experience? Life change. I do miss the squeegies though.